Round = More Space

[Previously posted on Practically Gardening]

I’ve long been a proponent of raised beds in the garden. They’re easy to work in, you never have to step on the soil so you never have to till, and they keep things tidy. Ideally I’d like them raised enough so that I don’t even have to bend, but that will have to wait.

The soil in raised beds tends to sink each year. Replenishing it in the spring is not my favorite job, but it is something I do try to get to at least every other year. Now I have even more reason to do it.

Most of the beds here are all below the height of the wooden sides, but the front right bed curves upward slightly, allowing the gardener to take full advantage of the space.

Piling the soil in raised beds so that the top is rounded, rather than flat, actually gives you more growing area. Depending on how wide your bed is, you could gain as much as an extra foot of growing space along the whole width. With several beds, that can really add up.

A Couple of Words of Caution

I wouldn’t suggest going too high or you’ll have a tough time keeping the mound in place. A gentle curve, so that the center of the bed is 3 – 4 in. higher than the edges, should do it.

And don’t add the soil until you are just about ready to plant, or it will just way down the sides. Once the plants are in, their roots will hold it in place.

I’ve lived in the Hudson Valley since I was a young child, except for a brief stint as a city girl, and consider myself a born again local. I was the gardening expert at About.com for over a decade, but my real fascination is with this beautiful valley. Some people gasp at scenery and say how it looks just like a painting. The Hudson Valley inspired an entire school of painters. I believe it is the most beautiful place on earth.

I also teach eCourses, and have a handful of books. I hope you’ll take a look at them. (My books) And I hope you'll stop by often, to hear about gardens to visit, plants to grow, and the occasional mussing on the poetic side of gardening. Thank you for visiting.

Thank You

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—Ivette Soler, author of "The Edible Front Yard"

“The writing here is as crisp as the layout, which uses colored page edges and a simple, slightly-New Englandy sense of style to get its point across. Best of all, it’s hard to think of anything NOT covered here… and yet there’s no sense of the text book in these pages, and only that homey feel one gets while actually gardening.”

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"Half the interest of the garden is the constant exercise of the imagination." – Mrs. C. W. Earle